Creator of DLS method Tony Lewis dies aged 78

The creator of one of the most complex rules of cricket - the Duckworth-Lewis method - Tony Lewis has died at the age of 78.

"It is with much sadness that the ECB has learned of the passing of Tony Lewis MBE, aged 78. Cricket is deeply indebted to both Tony and Frank`s contributions to the sport. We send our sincere condolences to Tony's family," read a statement from the board.

Lewis, who propelled to fame in 1999, devised the method in conjunction with his fellow mathematician Frank Duckworth. It was officially adopted by the ICC to help calculate fair run-chases in the event of overs being lost to rain during that summer's World Cup, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The duo made quite an impact to get solutions to on problems that rain delays had caused until they came forward with their algorithmic solution in the mid-1990s, ANI reported.

Their calculations may have baffled generations of cricket lovers over the past two decades, but they have been universally recognised as the best solution yet devised to the sport`s most intractable problem.